Exhibitions

‘Shards Of My Dreams That Remain In My Consciousness’ by I Gusti Ayu Kadek (Gak) Murniasih – Gajah Gallery

Gajah Gallery

Jul 15 - Aug 15, 2021

^{Bermain dengan anak anakku, 2004, Acrylic on Canvas, 100 x 100 cm
All images courtesy of Gajah Gallery}

In my opinion, if my paintings happened to touch on so-called taboo subjects, why should I be ashamed? Idon’t want to place any limits on the creative process – I GAK Murniasih

Gajah Gallery is proud to present a comprehensive solo exhibition of the seminal late- Balinese artist I Gusti Ayu Kadek (Gak) Murniasih: Shards Of My Dreams That Remain In My Consciousness unveiling over 50 paintings and sculptures that span the artist’s prolific decade-long career, from the mid 1990s to 2006.

Murni’s art is profoundly tied to her tragic, yet courageous life. Born into poverty in Tabanan, Bali, in 1966, she suffered sexual abuse as a young girl, worked as a domestic worker at age 10, divorced her husband despite allegedly being the first woman to do so in Bali, fought and eventually lost a battle with ovarian cancer just before turning 40. Yet, her art brimmed with unhinged creativity and imagination. In the mid-1990s, Murni shocked the Balinese art world through her bold depictions of the female body, sensuality, andthe depths of her subconscious—unwittingly breaking social mores and taboos in Bali.
 
Unlike other galleries in Ubud at the time, the all-women Seniwati Gallery recognised the singularity and power of her work and brought them to the international spotlight, showcasing them in places like Hong Kong, Australia and Italy. By the turn of the century, Murni’s works eventually commanded attention in her home country. She exhibited in prominent art spaces such as the Cemeti Art House in Java, where her work was interpreted not only through the lens of her life, but in connection to the collective trauma that prevailed in post-New Order Indonesia. Since her premature death in 2006, her works have been hailed across Southeast Asia for their strength, originality, and ability to transcend stereotypes of other survivors ofinjustice.
 
The exhibition presents the evolution of her works throughout the course of her active years as an artist—from her early pastel-coloured works that reveal traces of the Pengosekan style in which she was trained, toher bolder, brighter and more grotesque paintings in which she later became known. The show further presents the breadth and range of her themes: from her frank depictions of sex and power; surreal objects,creatures and characters; wild, vivid dreams and desires to ever-evolving reclamations of the body.